Chipotle Founder Assembles Village Empire Like Burrito

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We've been to Chipotle a million times and all we've got to show for it is a barbacoa addiction and a burrito-sized belly. Seems a bit unfair, especially considering what Chipotle founder and co-CEO M. Steven Ells has earned thanks to all our repeat patronage.

Like the above West Village townhouse, 92 Jane Street, which Curbed readers should remember. It's the 5,000-square-foot landmark that was completely remade on the inside into some sort of minimalist Zen palace by baron of Bond Street Adam Gordon and his architect Steven Harris. Gordon sold the beauty for $13.4 million back in January 2008, to a rather anonymous LLC. Turns out Ells was the buyer, but he didn't stop there!

Ells' name popped up in connection with 92 Jane because that's the address he used on the $11 million penthouse he just closed on at 40 Fifth Avenue, a deal that caught our attention when it popped up on StreetEasy this week. That's the piece of floorplan porn seen above (the listing doesn't have photos anymore but StreetEasy has some thumbnails). Ells bought the co-op from Ed Fancher, a bigwig in the psychology world who also happens to be the founding publisher of the Village Voice. It's a 4BR, 4BA chunk of prestige, but is it better than 92 Jane? Or—wait for it—Ells' other Village apartment?

Yep, the burrito man also has a full-floor, 3BR, 3.5BA loft at 147 Waverly Place, which be bought for $5.65 million in March 2008, not long after snapping up 92 Jane. That's over $30 million spent on Village real estate in the past two years, as well as a completed cycle: condo, co-op, townhouse. Ells seems the least attached to this pretty piece of property, because it was quickly put back on the market for $7.25 million and later cut to $6.975 million, according to StreetEasy. But it didn't sell and the apartment has been off the market since the summer of '08. Is he waiting for the market to get hotter than a tomatillo salsa? All we know is, like a big order of chips & guac, Ells should learn to share his possessions. With us, mostly.